AKRON
Suspect in robbery
AKRON: Akron police identified a suspect in two bank robberies that took place this week.
Robert E. Campbell Jr., 31, was wanted in connection with Wednesday’s robbery at the FirstMerit branch at 2430 Wedgewood Drive, as well as Tuesday’s heist inside the Charter One branch on East Waterloo Road.
In both instances, police said Campbell approached tellers, demanded money and instructed them not to include a dye pack. No weapon was shown.
Campbell’s last known address was on Reed Avenue in Akron.
He is a white male with a shaved head, standing about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He has a large tattoo around the front and sides of his neck. Bank surveillance photos show the robber made no effort to conceal the tattoo.
Pedestrian shot
AKRON: An Akron man was undergoing surgery after he was shot Thursday morning while standing on a North Hill corner.
The man, 23, was being treated for a gunshot wound near his abdomen at Akron City Hospital, police said. The injury was not considered life threatening, police said.
The man told police he was near the 100 block of West Mildred Avenue when a man approached him about 11:15 a.m. and shot him. The gunman got inside a gold van and drove off.
Police did not have a complete description of the gunman nor a motive for the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call Akron police at 330-375-2490.
Anonymous tips can be left via the Internet at http://akronohio.gov/asp/tip.html.
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Political class at UA
AKRON: The 2012 election is over, but politics never stop.
The University of Akron will offer a new continuing education course this semester for students of all ages that will look at political agendas.
John Green, who heads up UA’s Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, will co-teach the “National Battleground” course with Jerry Austin, a well-known political consultant who was among the instructors of a battleground course at UA during the presidential election year.
The 14-week, evening course will be offered in a classroom at UA and through distance learning at satellite campuses.
The course will look at how politicos pursue their agendas and the results of these efforts, reviewing the implications for public policy and the next election.
A trip to Chicago is planned to observe the special election to replace U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.
The course is $50 and will meet from 5:20 to 7:50 p.m. on Tuesdays, from Jan. 15 until April 23, except. March 26 when class won’t be held.
For more information or to register, visit the course site.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
Free dental exams
CLEVELAND: Free dental exams will be given from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Case Western Reserve Dental Clinic, 2123 Emergency Drive, Cleveland.
The exams are a feature of Prophy Day and will include X-rays and oral cleanings performed by the dental school students.
Faculty will oversee the students as they perform exams.
Patients must be 18 years or older and cannot be a current patient or have full dentures.
Depending on the type of dental care needed, patients with certain dental needs may qualify for additional free or extensively reduced services.
Any participant who wants to become a regular dental school patient will receive a $10 voucher to help defray the admitting cost during a follow-up visit to the clinic.
To schedule an appointment, call 216-368-0214. Walk-ins are also welcome.
HUDSON
Council seat filled
HUDSON: Keith W. Smith has been appointed to complete the term of retired council member John Jeffers and will serve for the remainder of 2013.
Smith is a seven-year resident of the city.
He is a certified financial planner for the Western Reserve Group at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and formerly worked in golf course management.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Kent State and a master’s degree from Rutgers University.
Council President David Basil stated at the special meeting Tuesday that the council had received applications from “four excellent candidates with a sincere desire to serve.”
Also applying were Dean E. Rolland, an 11-year resident; Ryan Beam, a 15-year resident; and Rafael McLaughlin, a four-year resident.
KENT STATE
Director appointed
KENT: Tomas A. Lipinski was named the new director of the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State. He will earn $150,000 a year.
He replaces Richard Rubin, who in 2010 became KSU associate provost for extended education. Associate Professor Don A. Wicks has been serving as interim director of the library school.
Lipinski was executive associate dean of the Indiana University School of Library and Information Science.
He held an administrative post at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and was a librarian at the Milwaukee Public Library.
He has a doctorate from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, a master’s degree in law from the John Marshall Law School, a law degree from Marquette University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin.
MEDINA COUNTY
Polar bear event
CHIPPEWA LAKE: The Chippewa Lake Lions Club will sponsor their third annual Polar Bear Fun Run, Walk and Jump to be held at noon Jan. 26 at Chippewa Lake.
Registration for the event is $25, and it begins the day of the event at 10 a.m., followed by the fun run and walk at noon and the polar bear jump at 1 p.m.
To register in advance for the event. visit www.chippewalakelions.com .
Donations and sponsorships are also being accepted for the event.
To sponsor a fun run and walker or jumper visit http://www.chippewaskiteam.com/lionshop/.
The event will benefit the feeding Medina County, CrossPointe Community Church Meals Program, and the Chippewa Lake Lions Club.
Charity gala
MEDINA: County commissioners will hold their annual Charity Ball at 6 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Weymouth Country Club, 3945 Weymouth Road.
Attendees will enjoy a black-tie optional event featuring a social hour, sit-down dinner and dancing. Tickets cost $60.
The charity beneficiaries are the Medina Healthy Ministry, Feeding Medina County, Medina County Historical Society, the Children’s Center of Medina County and the United Way of Medina County.
This event relies heavily on sponsorship to contribute to the designated Medina County charities.
The four sponsorship opportunities include, Ultimate $2,500; Platinum $1,500; Crystal $1,000; Silver $500;and snowflake $250.
All sponsors will receive prominent recognition in the program and at the ball.
For more information about the event or sponsorship, visit www.medina.oh.us or call 330 722-9208.
NORTHEAST OHIO
Financial aid help
Aspiring college students and their parents can get some help filling out the federal financial aid application at 2 p.m. Feb. 10 at 50 locations statewide, including many in the Akron area.
College Goal Sunday is sponsored yearly by the Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators to help families fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the gateway to federal aid, including Pell Grants for low-income families, student loans and need-based state grants.
Locally, the University of Akron will offer the financial aid assistance on the main campus, as well as the Medina County University Center in Lafayette Township and at the Holmes County Higher Ed Center in Millersburg.
Other participants will be Kent State’s main campus, Malone University in Canton, the University of Mount Union in Alliance and the Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster.
While walk-ins are welcome, registration is encouraged.
To register at any College Goal Sunday location, visit www.ohiocollegegoalsunday.org or call 800-233-6734.
Help for food bank
H&R Block offices throughout the Akron and Canton areas will serve as a drop-off sites this month for food donations to assist the Akron-Canton Foodbank.
“H&R Block is proud to be able to help the Akron-Canton Foodbank,” said Gwen McDougal, district manager.
PLAIN SCHOOLS
President elected
PLAIN TWP.: Kristen Guardado was re-elected president of the Plain Local Board of Education at its organizational meeting Wednesday night.
John Halkias was elected vice president and also appointed as legislative liaison.
At the board’s regular meeting that followed, approval was given to apply for funding from the Ohio Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program.
It would provide 80/20 matching funds for the purchase of school buses.
PLAIN TOWNSHIP
Elevator approved
PLAIN TWP.: Township trustees this week approved putting in an elevator at the township’s new fire station on Schneider Road Northeast.
Harris Day Architects said the elevator is needed to meet ADA requirements because the building, now under construction, will be two stories tall. The board approved change orders for the general contractor, BCMC, in the amount of $61,493; and for Abbott Electric, in the amount of $31,409.
Trustees hired Benjamin Magee as a firefighter/paramedic with the township fire department.
They accepted the resignation of Jeff Arnold from the Zoning Commission and appointed Stephen Harrison to replace him.
They also reappointed David Roshong to a five-year term on the Zoning Commission.
STARK COUNTY
Backing for project
CANTON: Stark County commissioners on Wednesday approved a resolution of support for the Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority to redevelop the former Wells School, most recently used as the city schools’ administration building.
The agency plans to work with a private developer to build multifamily housing for senior citizens.
The parties will seek state tax credits for housing people with low incomes.
City Council approved a similar resolution Monday to support the project in the 600 block of McKinley Avenue Southwest.
STREETSBORO
Man robs bank
STREETSBORO: Police were looking for two men in connection with a robbery Thursday at the FirstMerit Bank on state Route 14.
A white man, about 5-foot-10 and wearing a gray hoodie with “Apocalypse” on the back, approached a teller and handed her a note demanding money. No weapon was seen.
The man fled after being handed an undisclosed amount of cash.
Security video showed that the man got into a white Ford F-150 with another man near Town Place Suites and Fairfield Inn.
The vehicle went west on Interstate 480.
The F-150 appears to be a newer model and has U-Haul markings on the sides.
Anyone with information can call the Streetsboro police at 330-626-4976.
SUMMIT county
Judge to pay fine
AKRON: A five-judge panel appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court has ordered Summit County Probate Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer to pay a $1,000 fine and $6,000 in legal fees for violating campaign finance laws during last year’s election run.
The panel declined to discipline Stormer, according to the high court announcement in Columbus on Thursday.
Stormer’s opponent in the probate race, Common Pleas Judge Alison McCarty, a Republican, filed the complaint last year, according to the panel. It claimed Stormer and county Democrats held two fundraising events in which contributions were categorized by amounts.
The Ohio Supreme Court banned the so-called “tiered contribution” events in 1995.
The panel found that a violation occurred in one of the two campaign events and, thus, ordered Stormer to pay half of the attorney fees incurred by McCarty during the complaint proceedings.
In the November election, Stormer won 53.09 percent of the nearly 189,000 votes cast for probate judge. McCarty won 46.91 percent of the vote.
The panel also announced that the high court, on Jan. 1, amended the judicial cannon in dispute, effectively eliminating the rule violation that previously occurred.